


I Am Worthy of Happiness

by jinhyukks



Category: Harvest Moon, Harvest Moon: Animal Parade
Genre: Angst, Children, Depression, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Recovery, Romance, Suicidal Thoughts, anxiety attack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2016-08-23
Packaged: 2018-08-10 13:13:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7846438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jinhyukks/pseuds/jinhyukks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Gill's mother died he thought his life was completely over. His best friend and hero had left him forever. His entire perspective of the world, along with his heart, had shattered. He spent his days depressed and longing for a life that was not his own or no life at all. However, when the new rancher Hikari came to town, Gill realized he wanted a true happiness he thought he was no longer able to obtain. But no recovery is easy and with Hikari there to lend a helping hand, Gill learns to stand on his own two feet again and beat the traumas of his past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Am Worthy of Happiness

**Author's Note:**

> Doesn't anyone ever wonder why Gill can't see the harvest sprites anymore? In Animal Parade, after you ring the green bell, he thinks that he saw Finn for a moment, but then brushes it off. Why is that? And wasn't it in Tree of Tranquility that it revealed that Gill _could_ see the harvest sprites when he was younger? Also, while I was playing I thought of how perfect Gill and Hikari are for one another, story wise. Gill just seems like such a complex character that we don't really ever get the full story on, especially with the fact that his mother died. So, when I thought about all of this, this story came together like pieces of a puzzle fitting perfectly within one another. 
> 
> Please note that there is a **trigger warning for anxiety attacks, depression, suicidal thoughts, and ptsd.** The story doesn't go into a lot of depth nor is super descriptive on these topics, but they are mentioned so I wanted to warn you all before you read. 
> 
> As always, I have a [tumblr](http://thekyungillest.tumblr.com) and a [twitter](https://twitter.com/thekyungillest) if you would like to contact me or chat! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!

-

Gill never would have dreamed that his life would turn out in the way it did. He would have never made guesses to the notion that he would achieve the truest form of happiness. After his mother died, he closed his heart off from his father, from his friends, from everyone. His mother had meant the entire world to him. It seemed like suddenly, she had been ripped from his life and disappeared without another word. His father tried to explain to Gill that she wouldn't want him to stop his entire world just because she had passed. She would want him to continue living life to the fullest by being happy and going on adventures. Gill, however, couldn't help how he felt. To him, it felt as if everything he had known had been turned upside down. His perspective on the world, along with his heart, had shattered. Everything that Gill did, everyone he talked to, even everything he saw reminded him of his mother. Especially the harvest sprites and it hurt so badly. 

Apparently the harvest sprites were the guardians that watched over the land for the Harvest Goddess. Gill's mother used to tell him stories about the harvest sprites all the time when he was a baby and when Gill reached the curious age of three, he began to see them. When he confided in his mother that he could see small, floating fairies, she reassured him that she could see them as well. The harvest sprites were tons of fun! They always played tag with Gill when his mother was busy with work, or his father wasn't home. They played hide-and-seek together. They spent time on Horn Ranch petting the animals and taking lazy afternoon naps on Moon Hill. There were so many harvest sprites, five in total, that Gill never felt alone. 

On especially good days, when the sky was as blue as can be and the wind kept a steady, spring breeze, his mother played with him and the sprites. Those were always Gill's favorite days. He had never been particularly close with his father but his mother he would spend every waking hour with her if he could. They were all gathered in the garden just outside of his home, planting flowers and watering them. The harvest sprites danced between the buds, skipping happily and chattering about how excited the Harvest Goddess would be that they were making the land more beautiful. His mother would tell Gill he had to come out every day and water the plants, making sure they grew strong and healthy. Four year old Gill nodded determinedly and promised he would always make sure the flowers were growing strong. 

Gill was unable to keep his promise. After his mother's passing he didn't have the energy to go outside all the time to keep the plants watered. They eventually wilted and weeds grew in their place making the garden ugly and unkempt. It reminded Gill a lot of his own heart. 

Sometimes, Gill and his mother would find a nice and cozy spot in Flute Fields. They would put a blanket down among the lush, green summer glass and would sit down on it. Gill would lay his head on his mother's lap and she would open the story book she brought along on their journey. Her voice was melodic and soothing. She always read the stories so animatedly that when Gill closed his eyes, he could picture himself perfectly in the far off worlds out among the stars his mother described. When he would tell his mother about how he wanted to go on those adventures that the characters in the stories partook in, she would smile at him and pat his platinum blond hair. "You don't have to leave home to have adventures, honey." 

Those words inspired Gill. After that, he and the harvest sprites spent their time venturing out into unexplored parts of the island. They found all kinds of wildlife and fruits that Gill had never seen before. The harvest sprites steered Gill out of trouble and kept him company. Thanks to them, Gill was able to have the adventures he had dreamt of without leaving the island. 

After his mother died, Gill didn't read anymore. The scent of freshly printed books reminded him of her scent and how she used to fill his head with all kinds of beautiful worlds. The characters in the stories didn't offer him comfort or escape, they made him resent the fact that he couldn't escape the cards that fate had dealt him. He wished now more than ever that he could just leave all the pain behind like so many in fiction tales were able to do.

His mother died of an instant and extremely deadly sickness when Gill was thirteen. It was as if one day she was there, cooking him breakfast and humming happily as she did, then the next day she was completely gone. He tried over and over again, but he could never get the picture of her lying on the bed, her body so weak she couldn't even lift a hand to place upon his cheek and comfort him. 

"Gill," her voice was broken and it sounded like it caused a great amount of strain for her to talk. 

"Mother, stop." There were tears in his eyes but he refused to let them fall. He didn't want to make his mother feel guilty if he started to cry. None of this was her fault. She didn't deserve this. "You're sick. You're going to make it worse by talking."

She only smiled at him sadly and continued, "please take care of your father... You know... how scatterbrained he is." She attempted a laugh but it came out as more of a wheezing, lifeless cough. 

Gill gripped tightly at her hand but not hard enough that he would hurt her. "Mother, don't talk like you're leaving! You're not going anywhere okay? I have a whole life left to live and so does Father." Gill's voice shook with a pleading tone, quivering, as if on the edge of breaking. "We need you here."

His mother didn't say anything. She just gazed at her son lovingly with those deep, ocean blue eyes that mirrored his own. She smiled at him and Gill could feel her fingers lightly clutching at his hand, as if to say, "I'm sorry."

"I love you Gill," her voice was barely above a whisper and Gill knew that the time had come even though he still refused to accept his mother was dying. After that moment it was all a blur of Gill screaming for his father who had just come home with fresh vegetables. The doctor came as soon as he was able and announced Gill's mother as dead. As soon as the words left the physician's mouth Gill ran from the house. His father called for him but Gill ignored it. Tears were pouring from his eyes like a waterfall and his heart felt as if it had been gouged from his chest. How could his mother leave him like this?! How could she be his best friend, be the person he looked up to the most, and then just decide to depart from this world without him?!

When the harvest sprites came later that evening to give their condolences to Gill he pretended as if he couldn't see them. Several months passed and he really could not see them any longer. A part of him was sad but mostly he was thankful. The harvest sprites only served as a reminder of his dead mother and he was determined to forget she had ever existed.

When Gill turned sixteen his father tried to talk some sense into him. Three years had passed since his mother died, yet he still spent every day stuck in his room. He would be glued to his bed hour after hour, staring blankly at the ceiling while listening to music. His father had come in one day and tried to convince Gill that he couldn't keep living his life like this. This wasn't what his mother would have wanted but Gill didn't care. In Gill's mind, his mother's opinion didn't matter anymore the day she had left him behind to suffer alone. 

In all honesty Gill had thought time and time again that he should go and join his mother. Maybe he should just wander out into Fugue Forest until he was lost forever. Eventually, he would die of starvation or dehydration and he would get to be with his mother again. However, as appealing as that idea sounded to him, Gill couldn't bring himself to do it. His father was still alive and even though they had grown apart since his mother's passing, Gill knew that his mother would never welcome him if he left his father to live alone. That was, after all, the one last thing his mother asked of him: to look after his father. So, against what Gill really wanted, he stayed alive. 

When Gill turned nineteen his father sent him to a college at the mainland. He said that getting off of the island would be good for Gill and that he needed to meet new people and have life experiences. Gill tried to argue, refusing to go, but his father wouldn't take no for an answer. So, to Gill's annoyance, he was sent off to school. Thinking back on it now, Gill was glad his father had forced him back into the world. He had spent so many years stagnant, not even bothering to eat if it so much as troubled him. When he started attending college he was forced to live in the present and focus on other problems rather than spending all day mourning his childhood. He found that his classes challenged his brain in ways he had never experienced before. He enjoyed studying because it gave him something to concentrate on and he strove for the perfect grades that he could send back to his father. The letters he got in return of how proud his father was made Gill extremely happy.

During this time Gill had even made some friends. They were only casual, nothing lifelong, but Gill enjoyed the times they spent together. They often went out to parties, dancing and cracking jokes, or opted to stay at home and watched stupid television shows while attempting to cook. They were some of the best times Gill had since he was a child. 

At some point in his college career, Gill realized what he wanted to do with his life. That was the whole point of college wasn't it? To prepare you for the dream job you strove for. At first, Gill thought he might go into business, then maybe he thought he would enjoy working as a school teacher. It was when he was reading one of his father's recent letters about how the island was seemingly loosing life that he decided what he wanted to do. Apparently the waters didn't hold many fish and the fire seemed lifeless, barely able to get a pot of water to boil. The residents seemed unhappy with living on the island and even the wild animals had gotten mean and hostile when they had usually been so docile. When he thought about all the trouble his father must be enduring, Gill knew he wanted to become the mayor of Harmonica Town.

However, when Gill had returned to Harmonica Town four years wiser, older, and ready to take action, he found the island was nothing like his father's letters. The island was exactly as he had left it, maybe even better. Gill was confused wondering if maybe his father had lied to him or what he could have done to make it change. Gill soon found out that change had a face and her name was Hikari.

Apparently the various bells around the land had gone missing, causing the livestock to be sluggish and the wind to be limp and lifeless. Everyone could tell something was wrong with the island and a lot of people feared for the Harvest Goddess's life, for if the land was dying, she was surely in terrible health. Then Hikari came as if she was tasked by the Harvest Goddess herself. She became the newest rancher and not only gave her all to her farm and livestock but also located and restored the bells as well. Hikari was very popular around town as Gill had heard from the residents. From what was said she was very friendly, sweet, and always did her best. Gill was interested in meeting this Hikari and seeing what all the fuss was about.

Gill wouldn't have ever guessed he would have ended up married to this woman. When he first laid eyes on her he thought she was a little plain but still pretty none-the-less. The thing that intrigued Gill the most was she had this brightness in her eyes. It shone, sparkly and entrancing. It was as if she knew something that everyone else in Harmonica Town did not. Gill was curious and wanted to know what that was. 

Everything after their first meeting passed so quickly Gill couldn't recall most of the memories individually. Hikari began stopping by everyday to speak with him and at first, Gill thought it may have been because she was bored and wanted to kill some time. However, he soon came to understand she enjoyed the conversations they had together. At some point she had asked where Gill was when she first arrived and he told her about his experience with college. Excitement and curiosity seemed to light up her face and Gill couldn't help thinking that it was a cute expression on her. He began to share his tales from the mainland and what he did while he was studying far away. Soon after, she would begin to tell him stories of her family that she left behind and the adventures of her childhood. 

"I've always been... a little different," she told him one day, a sort of sad look in her eyes. "It was as if I could see things others couldn't."

Gill tilted his head at this information, giving her a quizzical look. "What do you mean?" he asked. 

Hikari seemed as if she was debating whether or not she should tell him. Gill would understand if she chose not to as they had only been seriously talking for a month and a half. Gill thought they had grown closer during that period but some things would always be hard to say no matter how much time had passed. He kept himself from grimacing at that thought. 

Hikari let out a small sigh and turned her bright, brown eyes upwards towards Gill. "I have been able to see these fairy type creatures ever since I was a kid. I thought everyone could see them. I told my parents about them, but thinking back on it maybe they just thought I had an overactive imagination." Hikari folded her arms over her chest looking slightly distressed. She shifted in her chair anxiously but Gill kept quiet, waiting for her to finish. 

"I realized that when I started school no one else could see these fairies. I thought that maybe there was something wrong with me but the fairies convinced me there wasn't. They said only certain gifted humans who believed could see them so I should consider myself special." A small, humorless chuckle sounded from Hikari, her eyes downcast at the table. "They were called harvest sprites."

That name somehow sounded familiar to Gill. He got a sense of déjà vu, as if he had read about harvest sprites in a book somewhere, or possibly had a dream about them. But that would be silly and Gill wasn't a hundred percent sure on whether he believed that Hikari could actually see something others could not. He had always been a skeptic. However, Gill still couldn't shake this feeling that he had forgotten about something important. 

"You don't believe me do you?" Hikari asked, a sad smile on her lips.

Gill pulled himself out of his thoughts and hummed as he decided on a reply. "Well, it does certainly sound odd, but who am I to tell you what you can and cannot see?" Gill stood from his dining room table and stretched his limbs, having been seated and talking for far too long. "As the saying goes: 'Seeing is believing.'"

Hikari laughed, shaking her head and standing as well, "I think the phrase is actually 'believing is seeing.'"

Gill shrugged not caring either way. "Tomato, tamato. Speaking of tomatoes, would like some juice?" He flashed her a small grin and she nodded her thanks as he moved into the kitchen.

That was the end of the conversation about harvest sprites but Gill should have known he wasn't done with them. He thought it was just some unique quirk that made Hikari, Hikari. Later that day, he thought he saw something small and green fly past his window that was too big to be a bird. He stared curiously out of his window for a few moments before shrugging it off and going back to washing dishes. 

It took a long time for Gill to come around, but it dawned on him soon enough that he was in love with the hardworking rancher girl. He was surprised he didn't recognize it sooner but it wasn't a love that hit him out of nowhere one day, as if he had been struck by cupids arrow. No, it was a gradual love that grew from the seeds of friendship and blossomed into the feelings he now had for Hikari. He wondered if she felt the same and knew he should tell her how he felt, for he didn't know if he would be able to hold back for much longer. 

It was a sunny, summer day and the heat was boiling the island. All through out the winter and spring Gill kept seeing things out of the corner of his eyes or hearing the rustling of leaves when the wind was not blowing. He knew he should sleep more but he busied himself a lot of the time helping his father at the Town Hall and learning the ropes so that he may be a successful mayor when his father retired. However, he didn't think he was losing enough sleep to the point of hallucinations. Hikari had commented time and time again about how he needed to take better care of his body and he knew she was right, but it had always seemed like there was so little hours in the day. The hallucinations were getting so bad to the point that it was driving him a little mad. 

However, this day would not be ruined. Today was the day Gill was going to confess his feelings to Hikari. Whether she rejected him or not, he knew he was making the right decision by being honest with her about how he felt. He had asked her to meet him at the lighthouse at 14:00 and it was already time for him to head out.

As Gill was walking across Harmonica Town he heard a strange voice calling out to him. "Gill!" It's tone was playful and the sudden shout of it made him jump, stopping in his track. He was just outside the entrance to the Watery Cave and though he could remember venturing there as a child, he didn't know why someone from inside would be calling his name, if there was anyone. 

"Gill! I see you! Come here!" the voice sounded urgent, so Gill walked down the steps and into the cave. Water droplets clinked loudly into puddles and on the hard rock surfaces. The blue bell sat quietly in its stand and everything looked to be in order. Except, there was no one here. Who could have been calling his name?

Suddenly, before Gill appeared a small creature. It was blue all over with bright eyes and a big smile. It had a pointed hat on the top of its head and gave a small bow as it came into focus from seemingly out of nowhere. "Gill!" it cried, a happy expression on its tiny face. "I've missed you so much!"

That's when it hit Gill. This was a harvest sprite. All at once it seemed as if he was flooded with memories. It was as if whatever dam had kept them hidden had suddenly spilled over and he could remember it all. He recalled being able to see the sprites as a child and remembered playing with them and his mother in the garden. The times when his father would reprimand him and the sprites offered him comfort. He remembered all the tales his mother told him about their existence and how happy they made him. 

He thought of his mother and it hurt. He felt this wave of dread just wash over him and his entire body started trembling, but he hardly noticed. It wasn't that he had forgotten about her he just made it a point to put her as far from his mind as he possibly could. It caused him too much pain to remember her beautiful, long, blonde hair and ocean blue eyes, or her melodic laugh and wonderful cooking. He tried to keep those memories as far away as he could but now they all came flying back and Gill felt overwhelmed. His chest was aching and he felt as if he was going to be sick. He knew tears were filling the brims of his eyes without even looking. 

"Gill?" the harvest sprite, Ben, spoke softly, his little voice laced with worry. "What's wrong?"

Gill ignored him. He couldn't think only of the memories of his childhood and how happy he had been during those days. It was as if he had tried so hard to escape dealing with his mother's death but it had finally caught up with him. All the times when he thought about taking his own life clouded his mind, the overwhelming urge back harder than he ever felt before. He closed his eyes tightly and forced the thoughts from his mind, fists trembling. Without saying anything to the poor sprite, Gill turned, leaving the watery cave and heading home. 

The next day, Hikari was furious. Gill knew she would be but he would explain himself. When he got home the day before he immediately went to bed. He knew if he stayed awake he would have had an anxiety attack or maybe done something worse. Sleeping was the best and quickest fix so that's what he did. When Hikari found herself some free time she came over and demanded Gill to explain his absence. Gill sat her down at the dining room table and told her stories. At first, she was annoyed and wanted to know why he stood her up yesterday. He was the one who had called her out in the first place! 

On this particular day Hikari was dressed in one of her more worn farming outfits. It was ripped in several places and torn at seams. It had dirt and water stains all over the shirt and shorts, yet Gill still thought she was beautiful. It was her eyes that he had been drawn to the most. They were so brown and cheerful no matter what. Even on dreary, rainy days Hikari's eyes still shone with determination and peacefulness. Gill loved it. 

The stories Gill told Hikari were about his childhood. He spoke about the tales of his mother and how much she meant to him, then he told her about the harvest sprites. At first, Hikari didn't believe him. She thought that Gill was playing a prank on her, perhaps poking fun at the secret she had told him so long ago. However, he asked her to refrain from jumping to conclusions until he was finished. After that, Gill explained about the stories his mother used to tell him of the harvest sprites. He talked about how his mother came down with a terrible illness and within twenty-four hours, she was dead. 

It was then that Hikari's usually bright and cheerful eyes pooled with a deep sadness. It pained Gill to see her look at him in that manner and he wanted to do whatever he could to remove that expression from her face, but not right now. He wasn't finished. Gill spared no details as he told Hikari all about his depression that lasted several years and what he went through. Gill spoke about how his father thought getting Gill away from where he grew up would be good for him, so he sent his son off to college. Gill explained how he had forced himself to forget the harvest sprites so he wouldn't have to see them anymore, and that they reminded him of his mother. At that time, he was still angry at her for leaving him behind. Gill finally told Hikari about how he was on his way yesterday to meet up with her when he heard a voice call his name from the Watery Cave, so he stopped and went in. 

"Ben was just standing there and I felt like I was a kid again, when I realized what he was." Gill's voice was shaking slightly so Hikari reached over, taking his hand in her own. He breathed in deeply and steadied himself, regaining control and continued. "All the repressed memories of my mother I tried to forget rushed back and I almost had a panic attack." He shifted his eyes to stare at the table, not wanting to see the look on Hikari's face. "I didn't want to show up in front of you and make you worry, so I just went home and went to bed early."

There was silence after Gill finished with his stories, glad to have gotten everything off his chest after all these years of bottling it up. It had taken the better part of an hour and a half and Gill hadn't noticed until now, but his hands were balled into fists. Still, Hikari didn't say anything. She just observed him with those big, brown eyes and she was chewing on her bottom lip in thought. Gill could almost see the gears turning within her head and just before he was about to break the silence, Hikari rose from her seat and walked over, throwing her arms around Gill's neck. 

Gill was so caught off guard that he sat there dumbly for several seconds, processing the situation he was in. When he finally caught up, he stood and lifted his arms, letting them slide around Hikari's back. He hugged her closely to him. The urge to cry bubbled up once again within his chest but he silenced it down. He wanted to enjoy this feeling of being in Hikari's arms, of being comforted and cared for. It was a feeling he thought he would never experience again since his mother died. Thankfully, Gill had been wrong. 

The days after that passed by so quickly Gill could barely recall them. At first, it had been difficult to interact with the harvest sprites. Being with them made him deal with the feelings of grief over his mother that he had not properly dealt with for some time. Now, he was forced to and it was hard. Hikari was there to help him though. Mostly Gill processed his emotions himself but that was draining and after a long, hard day Hikari would always be there with her arms opened and her smile bright. 

Not long after, Gill was finally able to tell Hikari how he truly felt about her. He explained that this was what he wanted to discuss at the lighthouse but apparently fate had decided there was something else in store for him. When Hikari heard Gill's confession of love, her entire face went flush but her eyes shone bright like stars. Gill found himself a little anxious for her reply. Even if she rejected him, he would respect her wishes and ask if they could remain being friends.

He started to get nervous when she kept silent, only looking at Gill as if she had never seen him before. Just when Gill was going to say something, Hikari sprung forward, throwing her arms around Gill's neck and pressing her lips to his own. He was surprised and stumbled back but instantly moved his hands to catch Hikari's waist and steady them both. When she pulled away she was embarrassed and a little shy. "Sorry," she apologized, unable to hide the grin that told she was not quite sorry at all for what she had done. "I have been wanting to do that for a while now." Gill coughed, hiding his pleased smile and blush behind his hand. 

The years passed and Gill fell more in love with Hikari. They spent their free time, when Hikari wasn't working on her farm and Gill wasn't busy helping his father, together. It was wonderful. Gill never knew a happiness such as this since his mother's passing. Even his father could tell he was in good spirits and often joked that Hikari was one of the best things that had ever happened to Gill. Gill groaned when his father embarrassed him but on the inside he agreed completely. Hikari not only made him happy but she also helped him make himself into a better person. 

Whenever Gill felt down because the mourning feelings for his mother resurfaced and tried to pull him back into a depression, he ignored the work that he needed to get done. This is when Hikari would swoop in like a superhero and tell him he couldn't push his work off to the side. She would encourage him to do what needed to be done but always knew when Gill was at his limit. When it was one of those said times, she would curl up with him on his bed and let him wallow in his feelings of self-pity and sadness for a while. Sometimes, during these moments, Gill would be lying with head on Hikari's chest and his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. He would tell Hikari even more stories about his mother and the joyous times he spent with her. He thought that he might being annoying Hikari at one point and apologized for being so weak over something as simple as a parent dying. She had reprimanded him for apologizing. 

"We can't control how we react to certain situations," she had told him, her face red with anger, but she kept her voice and tone in control. "Just because one situation isn't traumatic for someone doesn't mean it can't be for you either." Traumatic. Gill had never thought much of the word though he knew the definition of it. After Hikari had mentioned it to him that day, it quickly made sense. That's what his mother's death was for him: a traumatic experience. Hikari often told Gill that he shouldn't beat himself up if his recovery was slow, or if he sometimes cried when he thought about his mother. She told him that time healed all wounds and he could go at whatever pace of recovery he deemed necessary. Sometimes, Gill wondered where he would be if Hikari hadn't shown up in his life. He hadn't ever told her up front, but she was the angel that grabbed Gill's hand and helped him pull himself out of the hole of depression he had dug long ago. 

Many more years passed and Gill and Hikari got married. All the townspeople showed up to see the future mayor wed the successful and hardworking farmer everyone had come to love. It was a joyous celebration in which loud cheers and happy speeches were made, hoping all the best for the new couple. Later that day, Gill's father had pulled him to the side away from the booming crowd, small tears in the corners of his eyes. When Gill asked his father what could possibly be wrong on such a wonderful day, his father said, "nothing my son. I just know your mother is very proud of you." The phrase stung Gill's chest but in a good way. He smiled at his father and wrapped the shorter man in a tight hug, realizing it had been years since the last time he had shown his father such affection. 

"I know she is too," Gill agreed. 

Two years after the wedding ceremony had passed and things had wound down on the peaceful island, Hikari gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. He was healthy and had dark brown hair that he had obviously inherited from his mother. However, the baby's eyes were as blue as the ocean that surrounded the island. They named him Arthur and he was a quiet boy. He spent a lot of his childhood having his mother read to him and every time Gill caught the sight of Arthur sitting on Hikari's lap while she read him a book it warmed his heart. He was glad that his kid was getting the experiences that made the relationship between child and parent so special. 

When Arthur was born Gill spent as much of his time with his child as he could. He wanted to teach his son to play sports when he was older but when they both finally set out to the fields to play catch, they quickly discovered they were both lousy at sports. They abandoned that idea and instead, Gill let Arthur trail behind him at the Town Hall. Gill wasn't quite mayor yet, but elections were in a few years and he hoped he would win the town's vote. Arthur loved helping his father work and when Gill had to sit down and go through paperwork, Arthur would be a good boy and go off in some cozy corner of the office and read a book. When Gill was done with his errands for the day he would take his son to the Ocarina Inn and give him a treat of ice cream. Arthur always looked forward to that and was good every time he went into town with his father, just to make sure he would get that delicious dessert.

When Arthur turned six years old, Gill was elected mayor of Harmonica Town. It was almost like a dream and Gill could barely believe that he had achieved his goal that he had set forth towards all those years ago. The townspeople cheered as the ceremony took place and Gill's father gave a speech of what an amazing leader Gill would be. Everyone within the island had no doubt Gill would take good care of them. Gill wished his mother was here to see his dreams become reality but he somehow had a feeling she already knew he would make it this far. 

Nine months after the day of his coronation, Hikari gave birth to another child: an adorable baby girl.

Rose was very different from her brother in terms of personality but Gill supposed that is how it sometimes was siblings. Candace and Luna were two complete opposites but somehow still managed to be close so Gill had no doubt in his mind that Arthur and Rose would get along. Rose had long, blonde hair and deep brown eyes that reminded Gill so much of Hikari's. He was glad she inherited her mother's eyes and knew she was going to break a lot of hearts with them when she got older. When Gill told Hikari this later, she chuckled, shaking her head at her husband's silliness. 

Rose was more interested in animals and being outside than she was into books and numbers as her brother had grown to love. She also had a great interest in the stars and spent a lot of her free time with the Wizard who lived in Harmonica Town. At first, Gill was afraid Rose would be a bother to the reclusive Wizard who tended to keep to himself. However, when Gill visited the pair one day after work he found the Wizard beaming as he explained constellations to Rose. Rose made the fortune teller promise he would allow her to use his telescope when she got older and with a shy smile, he did. Gill grinned fondly at the pair and since then let the two of them be. 

When Arthur was twelve and Rose was seven, they both sat down during a cold winter's night in front of the fireplace. Hikari was sitting on the couch next to Gill and they all enjoyed the warmth that the fire had brought them in this bitterly chilling season. Rose jumped up to her feet and asked her parents if they would tell the two of them a story before bed. Arthur quickly agreed to the idea by nodding his head excitedly. Gill thought long and hard before he told the story of the dying island. He told them about the Harvest Goddess who was connected to the island but because the people had stopped believing in her the land started dying. Gathering the story telling skills he had observed from the years of listening to his mother, he used his hands to help the kids visualize the words he was speaking. He explained to them about the bells that were located all over the lands and about how the harvest sprites in charge of those bells began to disappear. But! One day a newcomer moved to the island and began restoring the bells, helping the harvest sprites and bringing life back to the land. In turn, this person had saved the Harvest Goddess's life and kept the townspeople from abandoning the island which would have surely died. By the end of the tale the kids were wide-eyed, hanging onto their father's every word. 

"That person must be a hero," Arthur commented in his soft but also thoughtful tone of voice. 

Gill nodded, smiling at his son and lifted a hand, patting the child on the head. "They are a hero," Gill began, "that person was your mother."

Both of the kids jumped at this and whirled around, staring at their mother in surprise. "No way!" They both shouted in unison. Hikari said nothing, being her modest self and chuckling awkwardly. Her face, however, was flushed bright red.

Arthur began hurling questions at his mother at the speed of light but before Hikari got a chance to answer any of them, Rose busted out yelling, "I want to see the harvest sprites too!" She was pouting now, stomping her small foot in exasperation. 

Gill stood from the couch and knelt down next to his daughter, taking her tiny hands within his larger ones. "You can see them Rose," he said softly, a smile on his face. "You had to pray really, really hard and believe in the Harvest Goddess. Do that and you will be able to see the sprites too."

Instantly, Rose shut her eyes tightly and Gill could see the little gears turning in her head as she prayed. After several long and silent moments, Rose opened her eyes. By this point the rest of the family was watching, gauging her reaction. Rose looked around and her eyes widened when she spotted Finn hovering not far away from Hikari, resting on the arm of the couch. "It's a harvest sprite!" she screamed shrilly, overcome with joy and excitement. Finn was an orange harvest sprite that had helped Hikari many times on her journey to restore the island back to its former glory. Now that the task was complete, he spent most of his time with the Harvest Goddess but he occasionally came back to visit Hikari as the two had grown close. 

Rose ran over and scooped the tiny sprite up in her arms, squeezing him against her chest. "He's so cute!" she squealed. 

"No fair!" Arthur exclaimed, huffing as he folded his hands over his chest. "I want to see the sprites too!"

Hikari laughed and ran her hand through her son's dusty brown hair. "Do as your father instructed and believe in the Harvest Goddess that protects those of us who live on the island."

As Arthur did what he was told, Hikari turned her attention to Gill with a bright smile on her face. Gill returned the gesture as he sat back down on the couch, wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulder. He pulled her close as he watched his two wonderful children take turns playing with Finn and asking him all sorts of questions. Gill had come a long way from his mother's passing and though a day didn't pass where he didn't think about her, he didn't let his grief consume him. He had spent his life learning how to keep from falling back into that deep, sticky hole where depression clutched at you and refused to let go. If he had continued to stay in that dark place, he would still be stuck in his bed, sad and sick or perhaps even dead. Instead, he was here with his beautiful family teaching his children all the great things of life that Gill's own mother had taught him. He was thankful towards her now for giving Gill wonderful memories that he would one day be able to share with his own kids. Gill knew that even though she was no longer here with him on this human plane, she was proud of him and all that he had accomplished. She would be proud of the fine mayor, husband, and father he had grown to be, and that knowledge is what made him glad to be alive.


End file.
